Automatic ice maker water supply means



Dec. 12,

N LL

H. P. HARLE 3,012,417

AUTOMATIC ICE MAKERIWATER SUPPLY MEANS Filed April 28, 1960 x v Q INVENTOR. HAROLD P. HARLE HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,012,417 AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER WATER SUPPLY MEANS Harold P. Harle, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 25,432 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-347) The invention relates to an automatic ice maker adapted to be installed in a domestic or household refrigerator and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved water supply means for such ice makers.

Apparatus adapted to be installed in a household refrigerator for the automatic production of ice pieces generally comprises a unitary ice maker including an ice mold for making and harvesting ice pieces and a water supply means for periodically introducing a charge of water into the mold. The ice mold is preferably mounted Within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator so that the water supply means connected to the house water sup ply line must pass through the insulated cabinet walls. To help prevent freeze-up and failure of the valve forming part of the water supply means, it is usually mounted outside the freezer compartment as for example, within an insulated wall of the cabinet. A feed line extends from the valve to the ice mold.

Since a portion of the feed l ne extends into the freezer compartment in the vicinity of the mold, it is subjected to sub-freezing temperatures. To avoid the formation of ice and eventual lu ine of the feed line it should be designed to drain completely following each operation of the water supply means. One way to obtain complete draining is to provide sufiicient slope in the feed line so that water droplets will not tend to collect at any point within the line. However, the greater the slope or incline of the feed line, the greater the velocity of the stream of water introduced into the mold with the result that if the issuing stream of water is directly introduced into the mold, some water may splash out of the mold and onto adjacent below freezing surfaces.

it is a primary object of the present invention to provide improved means for supplying a charge of water to an ice maker with a minimum of splashing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water supply means for an ice maker comprising a supply tube leading from the water valve at a slope suificient to make the tube free draining and improved deflector means for receiving water from the tube and directing it into an ice mold.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

P18. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a refrigerator including an ice maker embodying the present inven ion;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of the ice maker taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

MG. 3 is a vertical sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

While the present invention is applicable to various types of automatic ice makers, it will be particularly described with reference to the ice maker described and claimed in the copending application of Harold P. Harle,

tephen Balogh and Henry J. Loewenthal, Serial No. 813,790, filed May 8, 1959, now Patent No. 2,970,453, granted February 7, 1961, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing there is illustrated a portion of a two compartment refrigerator comprising an outer shell including a back wall 1, a lower liner 2 defining a freezer zone or com- ICC partment and an upper line 3 spaced from the lower liner and forming a fresh food compartment. The space between the liners and the spaces between the liners and the shell are filled with suitable heat insulating material 4. Each compartment has an access opening at the front thereof closed by suitable closure members (not shown).

An ice maker generally indicated by the numeral 9 is designed to be suspended from the top wall 11 of the low temperature or freezing compartment 2 of the refrigerator. The contents of the compartment 2 including the ice maker are maintained at below freezing temperatures by air blown over a low temperature evaporator (not shown) so that the ice maker can be mounted in the compartment independently of any evaporator unit. Also positioned within the compartment and below the ice maker is a receptacle or bin 13 for receiving ice pieces from the ice maker and storing them at below freezing temperatures.

The ice maker includes a substantially rectangular mold 15 divided into a plurality of sections by fixed dividers or partitions 16 extending transversely of the mold cavity, each of these sections in turn being divided into compartments 17 by movable dividers 18 arranged between the fixed dividers or partitions 16. The mold and fixed dividers comprise a unitary structure in the form of a metal die casting, such as an aluminum die casting.

The movable dividers 13, which are composed of a low heat conducting flexible material such as a plastic material, thin stainless steel or the like, are secured to a shaft 29 rotatably supported above the vertical mold side wall '21. In order that the movable dividers can pivot about the axis of the shaft 21 from a position Within the mold to a discharge position along one side of the mold, the mold side wall 22 opposite the shaft slopes outwardly as shown in FIG. 3 and is of a generally concave configuration while the cooperating side edges of the movable dividers are similarly shaped. To provide for the flow of water from one compartment to another during filling of the mold cavity, each of the fixed dividers 16 includes a slot 23 adjacent the side wall 22 while the movable dividers 18 have their upper edge portions 26 terminating short of the side wall 22 to provide a channel or spacing similar to that provided by the slots 23.

In order to release ice pieces formed in the compart ments from the mold walls, there is provided an electric heating element 27 extending along each side of the mold bottom below the side walls 21 and 22. When this heating element is energized, the mold walls as well as the fixed partitions 16 become sufiiciently warm to melt the bond between the mold surfaces and the ice pieces. However, since the movable dividers 18 are composed of a material of lower heat conductivity than the mold, there is insufiicient warming of these members to melt the ice bond so that upon rotation of the movable dividers out of the mold, the ice pieces are carried along with the movable dividers.

Once the bond between the ice mold proper and the ice pieces has been broken or thawed, the movable dividers can be pivoted upwardly and outwardly from the mold by rotation of the shaft 20 to a point in which the ice pieces come into contact with a plurality of spaced bumpers 30 suitably supported along the side wall 21 of the mold. As will be seen in FIG. 1 of the drawing these bumpers, which are opposite the fixed dividers 16, overlap the compartments 17 on each side of the fixed dividers so that their surfaces are in the path of the ice pieces as they are removed from the mold by the movable dividers 18. When the ice pieces contact the bumpers 30, movement of the ice pieces is stopped and the continued movement of the dividers causes the'ice pieces to peel away from the dividers and drop into the bin or receptacle 15 provided below the mold.

Control and drive mechanism for controlling the operation of the ice maker and rotating the shaft 28 is housed in a housing 35 secured to one end of the mold. As is more fully described in the aforementioned Harle et al. application Serial No. 813,790, the mechanism includw a motor, a drive mechanism for rotating the movable dividers out of the mold and for returning them to the mold and additional components providing a completely automatic operation of the ice maker through successive freezing and ice harvesting cycles. These additional components include means" for energizing the motor in order to initiate an ice harvesting cycle, means for energizing the heating means and means for supplying water to the mold following each harvesting cycle.

The present invention is concerned with an improved means for introducing into a mold of an automatic ice maker afresh charge of water following each ice ejection cycle. In order that the operation of the ice maker be completely automatic, it is desirable that the water supply means be connected to a continuous supply of water such as the house water supply line. In accordance with the present invention, the water supply means comprises a solenoid operated valve 43 connected through a connection 44 to the house water supply line and a feed line 45 extending from the valve 43 into the freezer compartment 2 with the end 46 of the feed line disposed above the ice mold 15.

The valve 43, to prevent freezing thereof, is arranged within and surrounded by the insulation 4 in the back wall of the refrigerator and is conveniently mounted on a cover plate 47 removably secured to the back wall or outer shell 1 of the cabinet. The valve 43 is mounted in a plane above the top wall 11 of the freezer compartment 2 so that the feed line 45 extending through the rear portion of the top wall 11 into the freezer compartment 11 will have a substantial slope and therefore be free draining so that droplets of water will not tend to collect or remain in the feed line 45 following the introduction of a charge of water into the mold.

The feed line 45, valve 43 and the cover plate 47 comprises a sub-assembly which can be removed or mounted on the refrigerator cabinet from the rear thereof, For the purpose of directing the end 46 of the feed line into the freezer compartment 11 through the aperture 48 provided in the top wall 11, there is provided a locating tunnel 50 secured to the top surface of wall 11 and communicating with the aperture 45. This tunnel 50 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the aperture 48 at about the same angle as the feed line 45. Both the locating tunnel G and the feed line 45 are preferablycomposed of a plastic or other good heat insulating material as is also the feed line 45.

As a charge of water is introduced into the mold through the feed line 45 upon opem'ng of the valve 43, the slope of the feed line which is provided for free draining purposes also causes the water to issue from the outlet end thereof at a substantial velocity. In order to decrease the velocity of this stream of water and direct it downwardly into the mold with a minimum splashing, there is provided a deflector plate 52 secured to, or integral with, the side wall 22 of the mold in and parallel to the path of the water issuing from the feed line 45. As is shown more clearly in F168. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the feed line 45 has its outlet end 46 positioned approximately above the upper edge of the mold side wall 22 while the deflector plate 52 has a sloping surface 55 in the path of thewater flowing from the tube 45, the lower edge 56 of this surface depending slightly into the mold so that all of the water flowing downwardly over the surface 55 will flow into the mold. The sloping face 55 of deflector 52 also includes a plurality of vertically extending corrugations or channels 57 in the path of the water flowing onto this surface and substantially perpendicular thereto for the purpose of decreasing the velocity of the water issuing from the feed line 45 and for directing this water downwardly into the mold. The stream of water flowing across and into these corrugations or channels 57 is slowed down and thereby retained on and distributed over the face of the deflector from which it flows into the mold.

To minimize any turbulence'in the Water stream flowing onto the deflector plate 52, the depth of the channels or grooves 57 preferably gradually increases from top to bottom and the outlet end 46 of the feed line 45 is arranged to direct the stream of water onto the upper and more shallow ends of the channels 57. In other words, the water first contacts a relatively smooth surface area formed by the shallow ends of the channels 57. Then as the film of water angles downwardly over the face 52, the deeper corrugations offer an increased resistance to the flow of Water in a direction across the face 52 so that the direction of flow is essentially along the channels 57 and into the mold.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various change and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A refrigerator comprising an outer shell including .7

an outer wall, and an inner liner spaced and insulated from said shell and forming a freezer compartment, an automatic ice maker'including an ice mold disposed in said freezer compartment, and means for supplying a charge of water to said mold comprising a solenoid operated water supply valve supported on said rear wall and disposed in the insulated space between said shell and said liner, a water feed line extending at a substantial slope from said valve into said freezer compartment and having an outlet end positioned above one side edge of said mold, and a deflector plate for receiving the stream of water from said feed line and directing it into said mold, said plate being mounted in a vertical position on said one side edge of said mold and including a vertically corrugated surface portion facing said mold in the path of said stream of water flowing from said feed line with the corrugations thereof extending across the path of said stream of water.

2 In an ice maker including an ice mold, and means for supplying a charge of water into said mold, saidwater supply means comprising a solenoid operated water supply valve, a water feed line extending at a substantial slope from said valve with the outlet end thereof positioned above one side edge of said mold and subjected to freezing temperatures and a deflector plate for receiving the stream of water from said feed line and directing it into said mold, said plate being secured in a vertical position on said one side edge of said mold and including a vertically corrugated surface portion facing said mold and in the path of said stream of water with the corrugations thereof extending across the path of the said stream of water. 7 V V a 3. An automatic ice maker including an ice mold adapted to be disposed in a below freezing zone, and

means for supplying a charge of water to said mold comprising a solenoid operated water supply valve supported outside said zone and a water feed line extending at a substantial slope from said valve into said zone with the outlet end thereof positioned above one side edge of said mold, and a deflector plate for receiving the stream of water from said feed line and directing it into said mold, said plate being mounted on said one side edge of said mold and including a face portion facing said mold and having a plurality of vertically extending channels therein, said channels increasing in depth from top to bottom, said feed line being arranged to direct said water onto said plate adjacent the upper ends of said channels V 5 in a direction such that said vertically extending channels 2,407,058 Clum Sept. 3, 1946 extend across the path of said stream of water. 2,682,155 Ayres June 29, 1954 i 2,717,497 Knerr Sept. 13, 1955 References (Lied 1n the file of thls patent 2,833,123 Kennedy May 6, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,834,189 Jaeger May 13, 1953 533,367 McBoyle Jan. 29, 1895 

